Process of refrigeration.



G. A. GASE PROCESS OF REFRIGERATION APPLICATION HLED JUNE 1|. I914.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Jn/Enfm- M M W UNITED STATES PATENT onrron.

GEORGE A. GASE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOE, BY MESN'E A'SSIGNMENTS, TO THE- ICELESS MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

rnocnss or REFRIGERATION.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Application an June 11, 1914. serial No. 844,559.

Refrigeration, -,of which the following a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a process of refrigeration of that type wherein there is employed a generator-absorber which acts alternately as a generator and as an absorber.

The object of the process is to provide a very simple and efficient system of automatically controlling the supply of the refrigerant to the expansion coil without the necessity of employing expansion valves or shut-. off valves. v f

My process also obviates the necessity. of the number of check valves heretofore em-- ployed in systems of the generator-absorber type.

My process consists broadly of conducting the liquid refrigerant from its receptacle in frigerant soluble in a liquid.- Preferably ammonia is employed for-the refrigerant,

and it will be convenient to describe the process with reference thereto. The apparatus will include a generator-absorber, a conduitand receptacle for the distilled refrigerant connected with the generator-absorber, there being an interposed check valve, and there will also be a check valve in the outside line from the receptacle through the expansion coil to the generatorabsorber.

' It is to be .understood'that suitable means are provided for cooling the condenser and liquid receptacle and for alternately heating and cooling'the generator-absorber.

GEORGE A. GAsu, a

. by constantly cooled.

The drawing illustrates diagrammatically a refrigerating apparatus designed to carry out my process, this drawing beingin the nature of a side elevation.

In the drawing, 1 indicates the'still or generator-absorber, and 2 the liquid anhydrous ammonia receptacle. 4 indicates a pipe leading from the still through a check valve 5 to the condenser coil 6, which discharges into the receptacle 2.

10 indicates the pipe of the" outside line leading from the receptacle 2 through a pressure reducing device 11 and a check valve 12 to the expansion coil 13 (shown as located in a brine tank 14) and from thence the line 15 continues to the still 1.

20 indicates a water supply leading to a @tank 21 containing the condenser and anhydrous ammonia receptacle, which are there- 24. indicates a perforated water supply pipe for cooling the still.

25 indicates a gas burner for heating the still. The valves 26 and 27 of the water pipe 21 and the gas burner 25 are shown as connected by the connection 28 so that, when one is open, the other is closed, thus indicating that the still is alternately heated and cooled.

29 indicates a suitable tank for receiving the water discharged from the still and through the condenser tank.

It is to be understood that any suitable means may be. employed for controlling the reversals of the generating and absorbing periods. The control may be manual, or it may be automatic, as shown, for example, in the prior application of Mr. H. H. South'- worth, No. 837,118, filed LIay 8th, 1914.

The device indicated at 11 in the drawing is a suitable structure for reducing, the

pressure in the ammonia line. This may consist of a series offixed openings within a casing, as described in the application No. 844,599 of H. B. Southworth, filed June. 11, 1914; herewith. The-drawing shows hand valves at various points, as indicated at 31, 32, 33 and 341, which are for the purpose of closing the respective lines to repair or remove the intermediate check valves or devices.

In an apparatus of the type shown, for

' carrying out my ,process, the generator-absorber l is made large enough to hold not only the desired amount of aqua ammonia to supply the refrigerating gas, but also an additional amount sufficient to fill the pipe through thevexpansion coil to the check pipe 15 and through the expansion coil to the check valve 12, which opposes its further progress. As the pressure of the refrigerant ammonia builds up during the dis-' tillation period, it is forced through the pipe i as 10 and through the reducing device 11 to the check valve 12, which, during this period may be held closed by the pressure of the aqua ammonia on the other side. If the pressure of the anhydrous ammonia is materially in excess of the aqua ammonia, it will move past the check valve and drive the aqua ammonia toward the, still until the two pressures balance each other This balance is maintained until the end of the distilla tion period. At the end of the distillation period, the heating gas is shut oil and the water turned into the pipe 24 and the still cooled,.becoming an absorber. Thereupon I theaqua ammonia is absorbed from the pipe 15 and travels toward and into the still, immediately dropping in pressure, and the excess of pressure in the receptacle 2 and the line 10 forces the liquid anhydrous ammonia .past the check valve into the expansion coil,

where it becomes a gas, producing the desired cooling, and from the coil this gas passes through the return pipe 15 to the absorber. The advancing anhydrous ammonia therefore,.drives the aqua ammonia from the coils'into the absorber, after which the an- 50,

hydrous ammonia, in its travel, is absorbed .by the water in the still, becoming aqua ammonia. When, the supply ofanhydrous ammonia in the receptacle has become exhausted and thus has largely become aqua ammonia in the absorber, the absorption period is terminated and the generation period resu'medjand the cycle described continuesf The cold aqua ammonia from the coils entering the still, expedites the rapid cooling of the aqua ammonia. in the still to the absorbing temperature, thereby causing the process of absorption to begin more quickly than would result if it were cooled only fromthe'exterior.

It will hese'en thatthepr'ocess of refrigeration by this means is extremely simple, as it obviates the mechanical means for holding the absorbed refrigerant in the still or mechanical means for preventing the escape of distilled refrigerant from the condenser during the period of generation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The process of refrigeration consisting of distilling a solution containing a gaseous refrigerant, cooling the distillate, preventing its direct return to the place of distillation, opposing the travel of such distillate about a circuit provided therefor by forcing solution from the distilling receptacle part way about said circuit in the opposite direction to that in which the distillate tends to pass, and then gooling the weak liquor,

thereby causing the return of the displaced solution and enablin the distillate to continue to travel about t e circuit in a-continuous direction to the place of distillation.

2. The process ofrefrigeration in an absorption system comprising the feeding of distilled refrigerant toward the expansion coil while opposing the progress of such refrigerant to the expansion coil by driving solution backwardly in the. return line from the point of distillation through the expansion coil.

3. The process of refrigeration consisting of treating a quantity of solution in such manner that a portion thereof is driven in one. direction in the'form of solution and another portion is driven off in another direction as refrigerating distillate, which distillate and driven solution are conducted toward each other until one balances thev other, the driven solution beingof such quantity that it passes through the expansion coil and holds the distillate in check before reaching that coil.

4. The process of refrigeration consisting of heating a quantity of aqua ammonia in such manner that a portion thereof is driven in one direction in the form of aqua ammonia and another portion has the gas driven off in another direction, which'gas is then liquefied and it and driven aqua.

ammonia are conducted toward each other until one balances the other, the driven aqua ammonia being of such quantity that it passes through the expansion coil and holds the liquid anhydrous ammonia in check bewhich it was discharged, conducting the liquefied gas and driven solution toward each other until one balances the other, and maintaining this balance substantially throughthe temperature of that portion of the solution which was not displaced thereby, allowing the displaced solution to travel back into its receptacle followed by the refrigerating gas which is reabsorbed in such solution.

6. The process" of refrigeration comprising the distilling of aqua ammonia. the condensing of the distillate while preventing its return via the conduit through which it.

was discharged. and the feeding of the condensed anhydrousammonia in one direction and aqua ammonia from the point of distillation in the other direction part way around a circuit until they meet, said circuit including an expansion coil through which the aqua ammonia passes. whereby the flow of the anhydrous ammonia is balanced and held in check in advance of the expansion coil by the aqua ammonia.

l. The process of refrlgeratlon involving the successive dlstillation. condensation,

expansion and reabsorption of ammonia gas from aqua ammonia. consisting in conducting anhydrous ammonia in one direction from the point of distillation and aqua ammonia inthe opposite direction about a circuit until they meet. the one balancing the other before the anhydrous ammonia has reached the place of expansion, and thereafter maintaining an absorption period wherein the balancing aqua ammonia is returned followed by the expanded anhydrous ammonia.

8. The process of refrigeration comprising the distillation of refrigerant solution in a generator-absorber. conducting away the freed gas and condensing the same and feeding it into a pipe leading through the expansion coil to the generator-absorber. solution from the generator-absorber passing backwardly in the return pipe and through the expansion coil until it meets the refrigerant. maintaining this condition during the distillation period. then causing the generator-absorber to become an absorber and maintaining it in that condition until the superior pressure of the refrigerant has not only forced the solution in the return line back into the generator-absorber, but has followed the same and become absorbed.

9. The process of refrigeration by the employment of a generator-absorber and a conduit leading from the generator-absorber through the expansion coil to the generatorabsorber and during the heating period forcing anhydrous ammonia in one direction in the said conduit part way to the expansion coil while preventing its backward movement in the conduit and forcing aqua ammonia in the other direction along said conduit through the expansion coil until they meet and balance one against the other. and thenc'oohng the generator-absorber, thereby allowing the aqua ammoniato return to the generator-absorber followed by the anhydrous ammonia.

10. The process-of refrigeration consisting of distilling ammonia gas from a portion of a quantity of aqua ammonia, preventing the direct return of the gas driven off and forcing such gas in one direction and forcing aportion of the aqua ammonia in the opposite direction about a circuit until they meet, and thereafter reducing the temperature of the undisplaced solvent thereby causing the balancing aqua ammonia and anhydrous ammonia to travel in the same direction to the point of distillation where the anhydrous ammonia is reabsorbed in the quantity of aquaammonia.

11. The process of refrigeration consisting of distilling a solution containing a gaseous refrigerant, passing the distillate about a circuit tothe receptacle from which it was distilled but before completing such passage opposing it for a portion of the time by forcing solution from the distilling receptacle in the opposite direction to that in which the distillate passes.

12. The process of refrigeration consisting of distilling a volatile solution, conducting away the freed gas and condensing the same while preventing its direct return and feeding it into a. pipe leading through an J expansion coil, holding such liquid anhydrous refrigerant in check before it reaches the expansion coil by forcing solution from the place of distillation in the opposite direction through the expansion coil, then stopping the distillation and cooling the undisplaced solvent, thereby allowing the superior pressure of the liquid anhydrous refrigerant to force the displaced solution backwardly through the expansion coil to the place of distillation, followed by the expanded anhydrous distillate, and then reabsorbing such anhydrous distillate in the solution.

13. The process of refrigeration involving the successive distillation, condensation expansion and reabsorption of gas from a volatile solution consisting in conducting the gas in one direction from the point of distillation and a portion of the solution in the oppositedirection about a. circuit which includes the place of expansion, the displaced solution passing through the place of expansion and holding the condensed distillate in check in advance thereof, and

thereafter maintaining the absorption pe- 14. The process of refrigeration involving the successive distillation, condensation. expansion and reabsorptlon of gas from a volatile solution consisting in circulating the In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my successively distilled, condensed, expanded signature in the presence of two Witnesses. and reabsorbed gas in a continuous direc- A GASE tion about a circuit, and reciprocating in .such circuit such quantity of the solution Witnesses:

as will hold the liquefied gas in check in JUSTIN W. MACKLIN, advance of the place of expansion. ALBERT H. BATES. 

